Microscopic Illustration of Pelargonium X Hortorum (Geraniaceae)

Asian Journal of Research in Botany

2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

Microscopic Illustration of Pelargonium x hortorum (Geraniaceae)

Kartik1, Chhveen Bharti1, Indu Kumari1, Anjali Sen1 and Vikrant Arya2*

1Government College of Pharmacy, Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, India. 2Department of Pharmacognosy, Government College of Pharmacy Rohru, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Authors’ contributions

This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author VA has designed this work. Authors Kartik and CB have performed the microscopic study of leaf and root. Authors IK and AS have performed the powder microscopy of leaf and section cutting of stem portion. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Article Information

Editor(s): (1) Dr. Magdalena Valsikova, Department of Vegetables Production, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape, Slovak University of Agriculrure in Nitra (SUA), Slovakia. Reviewers: (1) Selami Selvi, Balıkesir University, Turkey. (2) Mahendran Sekar, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (3) Nobuaki Tanaka, Shinshu University, Japan. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/47711

Received 24 November 2018 Accepted 08 March 2019 Original Research Article Published 18 March 2019

ABSTRACT

For identification of a crude drug, there are several parameters which standardize it for sure. Microscopic features describe a crude drug very well. Chances of adulteration are very common due to morphological similarities in different species of drugs and to avoid such confusions, standardization via microscopy helps to create a valuable profile of a given crude drug. Involving different parts of plant drug in microscopy viz leaves, stem, roots and flower etc. helps a lot in identifying the original drug. Transverse section of different parts of plant, powder microscopy and determination of leaf constants like stomatal number, stomatal index, vein islet number, vein termination number and palisade ratio of Pelargonium x hortorum describes the basic features of the drug and authenticate it as the original one.

Keywords: Pelargonium; identification; microscopic evaluation.

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*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected];

Kartik et al.; AJRIB, 2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

1. INTRODUCTION Microscopic profile gives an account of histological characters which are helpful in Pelargonium x hortorum L.H. Bailey is a standardization of drug. The aim of this study is species of the genus Pelargonium commonly to standardize the particular species of Geranium used as an ornamental plant. Pelargonium x i.e Pelargonium x hortorum using qualitative and hortorum is probably a hybrid between P. zonale quantitative parameters and as such no and P. inquinans belonging to family microscopic profile has been available of this Geraniaceae [1]. Plant can be propagated by species. stem cuttings and requires peaty or loamy soil and flourishes in sunny conditions. The plant 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS varies from height of 45 to 50 cm with fragrant green colored decorative leaves upto 5 2.1 Collection of Plant to 7.5 cm in length as shown in Fig. 1a with reticulate venations and crenate margin. The plant is collected in the month of January Flowers appears in many colors like red, pink, 2019 from Govt. College of Pharmacy Rohru, orange or white having five petals positioned Distt. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India and the around the center as ball shaped clusters collected samples were subjected to microscopic (Fig. 1b). The inflorescence is long rigid examination. peduncle. Generally tap root system is present in the plant [2]. 2.2 Microscopy

Anatomical sections of the fresh leaf, petiole, stem and roots were prepared for the microscopic studies and examined under Trinocular microscope Olympus-CH-20i model and compound microscope.

For determination of leaf constants like stomatal number, stomatal index, vein islet number, vein termination number and palisade parenchyma ratio camera lucida was used.

Stomatal number and index determination: Fig. 1a. Leaves of P.x.hortorum Stomatal number is a number of stomata per square mm of epidermis of the leaf and stomatal index is the percentage which the number of stomata form to the total number of epidermal cells. The fragment of leaf was cleared by boiling with chloral hydrate solution. Epidermal layer was then peeled out using forcep. A square of 1mm was drawn on a drawing paper using Camera lucida and stomata were counted and stomatal index was calculated using formula:

Stomatal index (S.I.) = S/E+S X 100

Where, Fig. 1b. Flowers of P.x.hortorum S= Number of stomata, Different species of Pelargonium are available E= Number of epidermal cells abundantly in nature with immense pharmacological potential and exhibit antifungal 2.2.1 Determination of vein-islet and [3], mosquito repellent [4], anxiolytic, termination number antidepressant [5] and pediculicidal activities [6]. Pelargonium derived essential oils (citronellol, Vein islet number is the number of vein islets per geraniol, p-menthone and α-pinene etc.) are square mm of the leaf surface midway between extensively used in perfumery, cosmetics, soaps, the midrib and the margin and vein termination is creams and aromatherapy products [7-8]. the number of vein terminations per square mm

Kartik et al.; AJRIB, 2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

of the leaf surface midway between midrib and and boiled in chloral hydrate solution followed by the margin. Fragments of leaf was cut in 2 mm x dilute hydrochloric acid for few minutes. A square 2 mm rectangular shape and boiled in chloral of 1mm was drawn on a drawing paper using hydrate solution followed by dilute hydrochloric Camera lucida and palisade cells were focused acid for few minutes. A square of 1mm was underlying four epidermal cells [9-10]. drawn on a drawing paper using Camera lucida and vein islets and terminations were counted. 3. RESULTS

2.2.2 Determination of palisade ratio The microscopic examination of the plant consists of its transverse section of leaf, petiole, Palisade ratio is the average number of palisade stem and root. The results of the T.S, powder cells beneath each epidermal cells. Fragments of characteristics and leaf constants are given in leaf was cut in 2 mm x 2 mm rectangular shape the Fig. 2(a-h).

Fig. 2a. Trichomes CTR: Unicellular, uniseriate covering trichome, GTR: Unicellular, uniseriate Glandular trichome

Fig. 2b. Wavy epidermal cells and stomata EP: Epidermal cells, ST: Stomata

Kartik et al.; AJRIB, 2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

Fig. 2c. Transverse section of petiole VB: Vascular bundles, CR: Cortex, TR: Trichome

Fig. 2d. Transverse section of leaf

Fig. 2e. Transverse section SP: Spongy Parenchyma, UE: Upper Epidermis, LE: Lower Epidermis in leaf

Kartik et al.; AJRIB, 2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

Fig. 2f. Transverse section of root TR: Trichome, CR: Cortex, PH: Pith, XV: Xylem Vessles

Fig. 2g. Transverse section of stem ED: Endodermis, VB: Vascular bundle, CR: Cortex, PT: Pith

Fig. 2h. Powder microscopy of leaf CR: Prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate, TR: Covering trichomes

Kartik et al.; AJRIB, 2(1): 1-6, 2019; Article no.AJRIB.47711

4. CONCLUSION 2. Available:http://www.indiaplants.com/plant- details.php?x=UW4VWFAm1TI= The macroscopic study reveals the physical (Accessed 10 Jan 2019). characteristics of plant whereas the microscopic 3. Dianez F, Santos M, Parra C, Navarro MJ, studies give us vital information about the Blanco R, Gea FJ. Screening of antifungal histological arrangement of different plant parts. activity of 12 essential oils against eight Transverse section of leaf showed the presence pathogenic fungi of vegetables and of unicellular covering, glandular trichomes, mushroom. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2018; anomocytic stomata, mesophyll type is 67(4):400-410. dorsiventral, bilayered cylindrical arrangement of 4. Ralambondrainy M, Belarbi E, Viranaicken palisade parenchyma cells, wavy walled W, Baranauskiene R, Venskutonis epidermal cells, five to six layered PR, Despres P, Roques P, El Kalamouni parenchymatous tissue, few calcium oxalate C, Sélambarom J. In vitro comparison of crystals and vascular bundles. In petiole five to three common essential oils mosquito ten celled layered cortex are present with repellents as inhibitors of the Ross River circularly arranged vascular bundles in virus. PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0196757. parenchymatous tissue. Stem cross-section 5. Abouhosseini Tabari M, Hajizadeh showed presence of five layered endodermis Moghaddam A, Maggi F, Benelli G. with fifteen to twenty layered cortex, circularly Anxiolytic and antidepressant activities arranged vascular bundles and pith. Roots of Pelargonium roseum essential oil on showed presence of fifteen to twenty layered Swiss albino mice: Possible involvement of cortex and xylem vessels with lignified phloem. serotonergic transmission. Phytother Res. Powder characteristic of leaf showed presence of 2018;32(6):1014-1022. prismatic calcium oxalate crystals, abundantly 6. Limoncu ME, Balcıoglu C, Oyur T, Zeybek scattered unicellular covering trichomes and G, Zeybek. In vitro Investigation of the fragments of parenchymatous cells. Evaluation of Pediculicidal activities of the volatile oil different leaf constants like stomatal number components of some medical plants raised (262-280), stomatal index (12-16.6), vein islet in Turkey. Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2017; number (4-8), vein termination number (12-18) 41(4):208-213. and palisade ratio (2-6) helps in framing the 7. Farukh S. Sharopov, Hanjing Zhang and microscopic illustration of Pelargonium x William N. Setzer. Composition of hortorum. Thus, the above information helps in geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) standardization and identification of given crude essential oil from Tajikistan. American drug and its inclusion in various Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Pharmacopoeias. Products. 2014;2(2):13-16. 8. Saraswathi J, Venkatesh K, Nirmala COMPETING INTERESTS Baburao, Majid Hameed Hilal, A. Roja Rani. Phytopharmacological importance of Authors have declared that no competing Pelargonium species. Journal of Medicinal interests exist. Plants Research. 2011;5(13):2587-2598. 9. Khandelwal KR. Practical Pharmacognosy REFERENCES Techniques and Experiments. 9th Ed. Nirali Prakashan, Pune; 2003. 1. Available:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelar 10. Evans WC. Trease and Evans gonium_%C3%97_hortorum Pharmacognosy. WB Saunders Ltd., (Accessed 10 Jan 2019). London; 2002. ______© 2019 Kartik et al.; This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Peer-review history: The peer review history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/47711